The theft was discovered last Monday, when the depot opened after the weekly holiday. Stamps of various denominations, from Rs 500 to Rs 2,500 each and collectively worth Rs 1.36 crore were missing. No police complaint has been registered but officials undertook a rigorous exercise to ascertain the exact number of stamps missing. By Thursday, the total value of the missing stamps was estimated at Rs 1.36 crore.

Officials declined to comment and efforts to contact the general manager were invariably met with a message saying he was `busy' in meetings for the whole day.

Last year, stamps worth Rs 12 lakh were stolen by workers at the press. In August 1993, currency notes worth Rs 10 lakh were burgled from a railway wagon parked at the ISP siding. The security of the ISP and the Currency Note Press is manned by thelocal police and the departmental security guards.